Thunderstrike #1 (of 5)

Okay, so the Scarlet Spider is still gone but Marvel is bringing back Thunderstrike? Thunderstrike? Really? Sigh.

It what appears to be Marvel Comics' attempt to write a Shazam! story, the angry young son of the fallen hero is bequethed with the Thunderstrike mace by Steve Rogers. Almost immediately he finds himself in a situation where heroism is called for, and whala, the angry young teen is transformed into the visage of his father with all the power the mace offers.

As hero origins go the story isn't bad (though hardly original), but the idea of of Steve Rogers handing over a mystical weapon (whatever its current state) into a violent, angry, dangerous young teenager who hates heroes isn't exactly the best idea Cap's ever had.

With this issue it appears Marvel is following DC's lead in over-cluttering their universe with extras heroes, whether their needed or not (and charging an extra buck an issue for their pleasure). Hit-and-Miss.

[Marvel $3.99]